Christianity Portal

The introduction of this article is too short. To comply with Wikipedia's lead section guidelines, it should be expanded to summarize the article. This article has been tagged since April 2008.

Judas Iscariot (died April AD 29–33, Hebrew: יהודה איש־קריות‎ Yəhûḏāh ʾΚ-qəriyyôṯ) was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve original apostles of Jesus. Among the twelve, he was apparently designated to keep account of the "money bag" (Grk. γλωσσόκομον),^[1] but he is most traditionally known for his role in Jesus' betrayal into the hands of Roman authorities.^[2] Image File history File links Portal. ... This article is about the manga and anime franchise. ... Iscariot is a fictional organization from the manga series Hellsing. ... Judas (Greek: Ιούδας) is the anglicized Greek rendering of the Hebrew name Yehudah (Hebrew: יְהוּדָה), also rendered in English as Judah. ... Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... 29 is my favourite colour!!!!!!!! Events Romans captured Sofia. ... For other uses, see 33 (disambiguation). ... Hebrew redirects here. ... This article is about the Christian scriptures. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      For... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ...

Etymology

In the Greek New Testament, Judas Iscariot is called Ιούδας Ισκάριωθ (Ioúdas Iskáriōth) and Ισκαριώτης (Iskariṓtēs). This article is about the Christian scriptures. ...

"Judas" (spelled "Ioudas" in ancient Greek and "Iudas" in Latin, pronounced ˈyudas' in both) is the Greek form of the common name Judah (יהודה, Y^ehûdâh, Hebrew for "God is praised"). The same Greek spelling underlies other names in the New Testament that are traditionally rendered differently in English: Judah and Jude. In Genesis (the first book of the Bible) Judah (יְהוּדָה Praise, Standard Hebrew YÉ™huda, Tiberian Hebrew YÉ™hûḏāh) is the fourth son of Jacob and Leah, born in Padan-aram (Genesis xxix. ... Look up Judah in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up Jude in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The precise significance of "Iscariot," however, is uncertain. There are two major theories on its etymology:

• The most likely explanation derives Iscariot from Hebrew איש־קריות, Κ-Qrîyôth, that is "man of Kerioth." The Gospel of John refers to Judas as "son of Simon Iscariot" (John 6:71), implying that it was not Judas, but his father, who came from here.^[3] Some speculate that Kerioth refers to a region in Judea, but it is also the name of two known Judean towns.^[4]
• A second theory is that "Iscariot" identifies Judas as a member of the sicarii. ^[5] These were a cadre of assassins among Jewish rebels intent on driving the Romans out of Judea. However, many historians maintain that the sicarii only arose in the 40s or 50s of the 1st century, so Judas could not have been a member.^[6]

Because of Judas' role in betraying Jesus, the name Judas—which was common during the time of Jesus—has almost entirely fallen out of use as a name among Christians. The Hebrew equivalent "Yehuda" remains common among Jews, and the etymologically equivalent name "Jude" is not unknown among Christians. Hebrew redirects here. ... Kerioth - cities. ... Map of the southern Levant, c. ... Sicarii (Latin plural of Sicarius dagger- or later contract- killer) is a term applied, in the decades immediately preceding the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, to the Jewish Zealots, (or insurgents) who attempted to expel the Romans and their partisans from Judea: —Josephus, Jewish Antiquities (xx. ... Sicarii (Latin plural of Sicarius dagger- or later contract- killer) is a term applied, in the decades immediately preceding the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, to the Jewish Zealots, (or insurgents) who attempted to expel the Romans and their partisans from Judea: —Josephus, Jewish Antiquities (xx. ... Look up Jude in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Judas returns the silver coins to the priests.

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (645x760, 71 KB) Judas dropping 30 denares the high priests gave him before to betray Jesus. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (645x760, 71 KB) Judas dropping 30 denares the high priests gave him before to betray Jesus. ...

Traditional Christian views

Biblical narrative

Judas is mentioned in the synoptic gospels, the Gospel of John and at the beginning of Acts of the Apostles. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, gospels Matthew, Mark, and Luke are so similar that they are called the synoptic gospels (from Greek, συν, syn, together, and οψις, opsis, seeing). ... For other uses, see Gospel of John (disambiguation). ... For the literature genre, see Acts of the Apostles (genre). ...

Mark also states that the chief priests were looking for a "sly" way to arrest Jesus. They determine not to do so during the feast because they were afraid that the people would riot; instead, they chose the night before the feast to arrest him. Gethsemane by Wassilij Grigorjewitsch Perow The Arrest of Jesus is a pivotal event recorded in the Canonical Gospels, in which Jesus is arrested. ...

According to the account given in the Gospel of John, he carried the disciples' money bag^[7] and betrayed Jesus for a bribe of "thirty pieces of silver"^[8] by identifying him with a kiss—"the kiss of Judas"—to arresting soldiers of the High Priest Caiaphas, who then turned Jesus over to Pontius Pilate's soldiers. These "pieces of silver" were most likely intended to be understood as silver Tyrian shekels. This article is about the chemical element. ... According to the Synoptic Gospels, Judas pointed out Jesus to those he led to arrest him by means of a kiss. ... Yhosef Bar Kayafa (Hebrew יְהוֹסֵף בַּר קַיָּפָא, ), also known as Caiaphas (Greek Καϊάφας) in the New Testament, was the Jewish high priest to whom Jesus was taken after his arrest in the garden of Gethsemane, and who played a part in Jesus trial before the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate. ... Pilate redirects here. ... The Triumphal Arch Tyre (Arabic , Phoenician , Hebrew Tzor, Tiberian Hebrew , Akkadian , Greek Týros) is a city in the South Governorate of Lebanon. ... Silver half-shekel struck in the Greek colony of Taras, during the Punic occupation. ...

Death

There are two different Canonical references to the remainder of Judas' life: A biblical canon is a list of Biblical books which establishes the set of books which are considered to be authoritative as scripture by a particular Jewish or Christian community. ...

• The Gospel of Matthew says that, after Jesus' arrest by the Roman authorities (but before his execution), the guilt-ridden Judas returned the bribe to the priests and committed suicide by hanging himself. The priests were forbidden by Jewish law from returning the money to the treasury so they used it to buy a plot of ground in order to bury strangers. The Gospel presents this as fulfilment of a prophecy from the Book of Jeremiah.[1] No such prophecy exists although there is a reference to thirty silver shekels in the Book of Zechariah.(Zechariah 11:13)
• The Acts of the Apostles (1:18) says that Judas used the bribe to buy a field, but fell down, and burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. This field is called Akeldama or Field Of Blood. Acts 1 goes on to describe how his place among the apostles was subsequently filled by Matthias.

Yet another account was preserved by the early Christian leader, Papias: "Judas walked about in this world a sad example of impiety; for his body having swollen to such an extent that he could not pass where a chariot could pass easily, he was crushed by the chariot, so that his bowels gushed out." ^[9] The Gospel of Matthew (literally, according to Matthew; Greek, Κατά Μαθθαίον or Κατά Ματθαίον, Kata Maththaion or Kata Matthaion) is a synoptic gospel in the New Testament, one of four canonical gospels. ... This article is about religious workers. ... For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ... The Book of Jeremiah, or Jeremiah (יִרְמְיָהוּ Yirməyāhū in Hebrew), is part of the Hebrew Bible, Judaisms Tanakh, and later became a part of Christianitys Old Testament. ... The Book of Zechariah is a book of the Bible Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh attributed to the prophet Zechariah. ... For the literature genre, see Acts of the Apostles (genre). ... The intestine is the portion of the alimentary canal extending from the stomach to the anus and, in humans and other mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine. ... Aceldama or Akeldama is the Aramaic name for a place in Jerusalem associated with Judas Iscariot, one of the followers of Jesus. ... For the literature genre, see Acts of the Apostles (genre). ... This article is about the New Testament figure. ... Papias (working in the 1st half of the 2nd century) was one of the early leaders of the Christian church, canonized as a saint. ...

In the Gospel of Judas, it is implied that the other Apostles stoned him to death for his perceived betrayal. The Gospel of Judas is a Gnostic gospel. ...

Raymond E. Brown gave the contradictory accounts of the death of Judas as an example of an obvious contradiction in the Bible texts: "Luke's account of the death of Judas in Acts 1:18 is scarcely reconcilable with Matt 27:3-10."^[10] This problem was one of the points that caused C. S. Lewis, for example, to reject the view "that every statement in Scripture must be historical truth".^[11] Various attempts at harmonization have been tried since ancient times,^[12] such as that Judas hanged himself in the field, and afterwards the rope snapped, and his body burst open on the ground,^[13] or that the accounts of Acts and Matthew refer to two different transactions.^[14] Raymond Edward Brown (May 22, 1928 - August 8, 1998), was an American Roman Catholic priest and Biblical scholar. ... Clive Staples Jack Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an Irish author and scholar. ...

Modern scholars tend to reject these approaches.^[15][16] The consensus among scholars today is that the Matthew account is a midrashic exposition that allows the author to present the event as a fulfilment of prophetic passages from the Old Testament books of Zechariah and Jeremiah. They argue that the author adds imaginative details such as the thirty pieces of silver, and the fact that Judas hangs himself, to an earlier tradition about Judas's death.^[17] Midrash (pl. ... The Book of Zechariah is a book of the Bible Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh attributed to the prophet Zechariah. ... The Book of Jeremiah, or Jeremiah (יִרְמְיָהוּ Yirməyāhū in Hebrew), is part of the Hebrew Bible, Judaisms Tanakh, and later became a part of Christianitys Old Testament. ...

Identity

Judas Iscariot 1891 by Nikolai Ge

Judas Iscariot is mentioned only a few times in the canonical gospels. The apostle whose name is generally rendered in English as Saint Jude was actually named Judas son of James, and outside the New Testament the apostle Saint Thomas is sometimes called Judas Thomas Didymus. Some persons have speculated that Judas Iscariot is the same as one or both of these persons, and have advanced as support for their theory the fact that some manuscripts refer to Judas son of James as Judas the Zealot, which they link with the theory that the name Iscariot refers to the Sicarii. However, the list of the Twelve in Luke 6:15,16 clearly treats Thomas, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot as three separate persons and the list in Acts 1 treats Thomas and Judas son of James as still alive at a time when Judas Iscariot is dead. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1426, 118 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Nikolai Ge ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1426, 118 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Nikolai Ge ... Portrait of Alexei Potechin, painted by Nikolai Ge Nikolai Ge (Russian: ; 1831 – 1894) was a Russian painter. ... For other uses, see Saint Jude (disambiguation). ... Subscript text == Headline text ==dfgdfgdsfgfdgdf Insert non-formatted text here Saint Thomas the Apostle, Judas Thomas or Didymus, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. ... Judas the Zealot is a New Testament figure whose identity is not completely clear. ... Sicarii (Latin plural of Sicarius dagger- or later contract- killer) is a term applied, in the decades immediately preceding the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, to the Jewish Zealots, (or insurgents) who attempted to expel the Romans and their partisans from Judea: —Josephus, Jewish Antiquities (xx. ...

John 14:22 indicates that Jesus had a disciple called "Judas (not the Iscariot)," probably Judas son of James or possibly Thomas. The latter identification is less likely, since Thomas is not called Judas anywhere else in the New Testament, but it is supported by many writings in the Syriac church which refer to him by this name. The most famous writings naming "Thomas" as Judas are perhaps the Gospel of Thomas and the Acts of Thomas. Thomas itself simply means 'twin' and was thus this individual's nickname rather than his actual name.

Another New Testament Judas, Jesus' brother Judas, is referred to in Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3. He may be the same person as Judas son of James (his different father would be explained by the Roman Catholic theory that Jesus' so-called "brothers" were really his cousins), or, in view of the statement in John 7:5 that "even his brothers did not believe" in Jesus, he may be someone else. In any case, Judas was a common name at the time of the New Testament. Jude (alternatively Judas or Judah) is the third of the brothers of Jesus appearing in the New Testament. ...

Gospel of Judas

Main article: Gospel of Judas

During the 1970s, a Coptic papyrus [2] was discovered near Beni Masah, Egypt. This has been translated and appears to be a text from the 2nd century A.D. describing the story of Jesus's death from the viewpoint of Judas. The conclusion of the text refers (in Coptic) to the text as "the Gospel of Judas" (Euangelion Ioudas). The Gospel of Judas is a Gnostic gospel. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... This article is about Jesus the man, using historical methods to reconstruct a biography of his life and times. ... The Coptic language is a direct descendant of the ancient Egyptian language which was once written in Egyptian hieroglyphic, hieratic, and demotic scripts. ...

According to a 2006 translation of the manuscript of the text, it is apparently a Gnostic account of an arrangement between Jesus and Judas, who in this telling are Gnostically enlightened beings, with Jesus asking Judas to turn him in to the Romans to help Jesus finish his appointed task from God. Gnosticism (Greek: gnōsis, knowledge) refers to a diverse, syncretistic religious movement consisting of various belief systems generally united in the teaching that humans are divine souls trapped in a material world created by an imperfect spirit, the demiurge, who is frequently identified with the Abrahamic God. ...

In December 2007, a New York Times op-ed article by April DeConick asserted that the National Geographic's translation is badly flawed: 'For example, in one instance the National Geographic transcription refers to Judas as a "daimon," which the society’s experts have translated as "spirit." Actually, the universally accepted word for "spirit" is "pneuma" — in Gnostic literature "daimon" is always taken to mean "demon."'^[18] The National Geographic Society responded that 'Virtually all issues April D. DeConick raises about translation choices are addressed in footnotes in both the popular and critical editions'.^[19] The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... An Op-Ed is a piece of writing expressing an opinion. ... This article is about the organization. ...

Criticism

Theological questions

Judas has been a figure of great interest to esoteric groups, such as many Gnostic sects, because of the apparent contradiction in the idea of "the betrayal of God". The main questions seem to be these: Gnosticism is a blanket term for various religions and sects most prominent in the first few centuries A.D. General characteristics The word gnosticism comes from the Greek word for knowledge, gnosis (γνῶσις), referring to the idea that there is special, hidden mysticism (esoteric knowledge) that only a few possess. ... This article is about the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...

• Did Judas exist in his time only to betray Jesus just to fulfill the prophecy?
• Why did Jesus allow Judas to betray him?
  • Was Jesus unable to prevent the betrayal?
  • Did Jesus willingly allow the betrayal to go ahead?
  • Did Jesus actively try to cause the betrayal to happen?
• Why is it that the 'villainy' of Judas becomes greater and more pronounced as one reads from Mark to John?^[20]

Irenaeus records the beliefs of one Gnostic sect, the Cainites, who believed that Judas was an instrument of the Sophia, Divine Wisdom, thus earning the hatred of the Demiurge. In the Hebrew bible, the book of Zechariah, the one who casts thirty pieces of silver, as Judas does in the Gospels, is a servant of God. His betrayal of Jesus thus was a victory over the materialist world. The Cainites later split into two groups, disagreeing over the ultimate significance of Jesus in their cosmology. Saint Irenaeus (Greek: Ειρηναίος), (b. ... The Cainites were a Gnostic and Antinomian sect who were known to worship Cain as the first victim of the Demiurge, i. ... Sophia (Σoφíα, Greek for wisdom) is a central term in Hellenistic philosophy and religion, Gnostic Christianity and Orthodox Christianity. ... Demiurge (from the Greek , Latinized , meaning artisan or craftsman, literally worker in the service of the people, from of the people + work) is a term for a creator deity, responsible for the creation of the physical universe. ... The male given name Zechariah is derived from the Hebrew זְכַרְיָה, meaning God has remembered. ...

Origen knew of a tradition according to which the greater circle of disciples betrayed Jesus, but does not attribute this to Judas in particular, and Origen did not deem Judas as a thoroughly corrupt person (Matt., tract. xxxv). Origen Origen (Greek: Ōrigénēs, 185–ca. ...

The early anti-Christian writer Celsus deemed literal readings of the story to be philosophically absurd, especially because Jesus knew about the treason in advance, and told of it openly to all the disciples at the Passover meal, as well as singling out who the traitor would be without attempting to stop him. Celsus (Greek: ) was a 2nd century Greek philosopher and opponent of Christianity. ...

The text of the Gospels suggests that Jesus both foresaw and allowed Judas' betrayal. In April 2006, a Coptic papyrus manuscript titled the Gospel of Judas (see above section) dating back to 200 AD, was translated into modern language, to add weight to the possibility that according to early Christian writings, Jesus may have asked Judas to betray him [3]. While this seems quite at odds with the Gospel of John, where Judas is portrayed as an arch villain, the Gospel of Mark is much more ambiguous and could be considered to be fairly consistent with the stance of the Gospel of Judas on this question. The Gospel of Judas is a Gnostic gospel. ... Events Jewish Eretz Yisraeli scholar Judah ha-Nasi compiles tracts of the Mishnah, beginning the creation of Talmudic law. ...

Philosophical questions

Judas is also the subject of many philosophical writings, including The Problem of Natural Evil by Bertrand Russell and "Three Versions of Judas", a short story by Jorge Luis Borges. They both allege various problematic ideological contradictions with the discrepancy between Judas' actions and his eternal punishment. Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS, (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970), was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, advocate for social reform, and pacifist. ... Three versions of Judas is a short story by Argentine writer and poet Jorge Luis Borges. ... Borges redirects here. ...

• If Jesus foresees Judas' betrayal, then it may be argued that Judas has no free will, and cannot avoid betraying Jesus. If Judas cannot control his betrayal of Jesus, then he is not morally responsible for his actions. The question has been approached by Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologica, which differentiates between foreknowledge and predestination, and argues that the omnipotence of the divine is not sufficient grounds for eliminating the existence of free will.
• If Judas is sent to Hell for his betrayal, and his betrayal was a necessary step in the humanity-saving death of Jesus Christ, then Judas is punished for saving humanity. This goes hand-in-hand with the "free will" argument, and Aquinas's Summa deals with the issue of free will in demons and other beings instrumental in the life of Jesus that are nevertheless damned.
• If Jesus only suffered while dying on the cross and then ascended into Heaven, while Judas must suffer for eternity in Hell, then does Judas not suffer much more for the sins of humanity than Jesus? Should his role in the Atonement be that much more significant? As Borges puts it in "Three Versions of Judas":

"The ascetic, for the greater glory of God, degrades and mortifies the flesh; Judas did the same with the spirit. He renounced honor, good, peace, the Kingdom of Heaven, as others, less heroically, renounced pleasure." Free-Will is a Japanese independent record label founded in 1986. ... Aquinas redirects here. ... Summa theologiae, Pars secunda, prima pars. ... This article refers to the topic of prophecy as the purported telling of future events or supernatural revelations. ... Predestination (also linked with foreknowledge) is a religious concept, which involves the relationship between the beginning of things and their destinies. ... Omnipotence (literally, all power) is power with no limits or inexhaustible, in other words, unlimited power. ... Free-Will is a Japanese independent record label founded in 1986. ... This article is about the theological or philosophical afterlife. ... For other uses, see Heaven (disambiguation). ... While in the popular mind, eternity often simply means existing for an infinite, i. ... This article is about the theological or philosophical afterlife. ... For other uses, see Atonement (disambiguation). ... Borges redirects here. ... Three versions of Judas is a short story by Argentine writer and poet Jorge Luis Borges. ...

• Does Jesus' plea, "Father forgive them, they know not what they do," (Luke 23:34) not apply to Judas? Is his atonement insufficient for Judas' sins?
• It has been speculated that Judas' damnation, which seems to be possible from the Gospels' text, may not actually stem from his betrayal of Christ, but from the despair which caused him to subsequently commit suicide. This position is not without its problems, but it does avoid the paradox of Judas' predestined act setting in motion both the salvation of all mankind and his own damnation.

The damnation of Judas is not a universal conclusion. The Roman Catholic Church only proclaims individuals' Eternal Salvation through the Canon of Saints. There is no 'Canon of the Damned', nor any official proclamation of the damnation of Judas.

Motivation

The Kiss of Judas, by Giotto di Bondone

Was the monetary value of 30 pieces of silver the only motivating force for Judas' actions, considering that 30 pieces of silver was not an exorbitant amount of money at the time? Was it coincidence that this was also the price one paid as liability if their ox had killed another person's slave as required in Old Testament Law (see Exodus 21:28-32)? After seeing Jesus' popularity declining, was Judas' motivation for handing Jesus over an attempt to force the hand of God into action? Jesus often spoke of creating a kingdom and saving his people. Many times Judas saw Jesus escape capture and stonings. Judas might have been trying to spur Jesus into a war with the Romans by telling them where he was. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (904x814, 223 KB) Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337), Cappella Scrovegni a Padova, Life of Christ, Kiss of Judas File links The following pages link to this file: Gospel of Judas Cappella degli Scrovegni ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (904x814, 223 KB) Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337), Cappella Scrovegni a Padova, Life of Christ, Kiss of Judas File links The following pages link to this file: Gospel of Judas Cappella degli Scrovegni ... Giotto di Bondone (c. ...

The last reading may be plausible if the etymology of "Iscariot" (see below) could be related to Sicarii, a sect of the Zealots committed to the violent overthrow of Rome. If Judas was a Sicarius (which may or may not be historically possible), then it's possible that he saw Jesus as the Messiah in the fashion expected by the Zealots: a military leader who would defeat and cast out the Romans. If this scenario was the case, then Judas may well have been trying to force Jesus into a position where he had to reveal himself as the divinely appointed warrior-king who would destroy his enemies. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Zealotry. ... In Judaism, the Messiah (Hebrew: , Standard  Tiberian ; Aramaic: , ; Arabic: , ; the Anointed One) at first meant any person who was anointed with oil on rising to a certain position among the ancient Israelites, at first that of High priest, later that of King and also that of a prophet. ...

Modern interpretations

Most modern Christians, whether laity, clergy, or theologians, still consider Judas a traitor. Indeed the term Judas has entered many languages as a synonym for betrayer.

However, some scholars^[21] have embraced the alternative notion that Judas was merely the negotiator in a prearranged prisoner exchange (following the money-changer riot in the Temple) that gave Jesus to the Roman authorities by mutual agreement, and that Judas' later portrayal as "traitor" was a historical distortion. The narrative of Jesus and the Money Changers occurs in both the Synoptic Gospels and in the Gospel of John, although it occurs close to the end of the Synoptic Gospels (at Mark 11:15-19, 11:27-33, Matthew 21:12-17, 21:23-27 and Luke 19:45...

In his book The Passover Plot the British theologian Hugh J. Schonfield argued that the crucifixion of Christ was a conscious re-enactment of Biblical prophecy and Judas acted with Jesus' full knowledge and consent in "betraying" his master to the authorities. The Passover Plot (ISBN 1852308362) is the name of a controversial, best-selling book (©1965), by British Biblical scholar Hugh J. Schonfield. ... Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... Dr. Hugh J. Schonfield was a British Bible scholar specializing in the New Testament and the early development of the Christian religion and church. ... For other uses, see Prophecy (disambiguation). ...

A similar interpretation became well known to the general population through Martin Scorsese's controversial film The Last Temptation of Christ, based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis. Kazantzakis' original concept was that Judas Iscariot's only motivation in betraying Jesus to the Romans was to help him, as Jesus' closest friend, through doing what no other disciple could bring himself to do. This portrayal shows Judas obeying Jesus' covert request to help him fulfill his destiny to die on the cross, thus making Judas the catalyst for the event later interpreted as bringing about humanity's salvation. This view of Judas Iscariot is reflected in the recently discovered and translated mid-second century text, the Gospel of Judas. Martin Marcantonio Luciano Scorsese (IPA: AmE: ; Ita: []) (b. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Nikos Kazantzakis (Greek: Νίκος Καζαντζάκης) (February 18, 1883, Heraklion, Crete, Greece - October 26, 1957, Freiburg, Germany), author of poems, novels, essays, plays, and travel books, was arguably the most important and most translated Greek writer and philosopher of the 20th century. ... The Gospel of Judas is a Gnostic gospel. ...

Garry Wills believes that Jesus rescued Judas from Hell, as part of the Harrowing of Hell.^{[citation needed]} Garry Wills (born May 22, 1934 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an author and historian, and a frequent contributor to the New York Review of Books. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... The Harrowing of Hell is a doctrine in Christian theology referenced in the Apostles Creed and the Athanasian Creed (Quicumque vult), which states that Jesus descended into Hell. ...

The book The Sins of the Scripture, by John Shelby Spong, investigates the possibility that early Christians copied the Judas story from three Old Testament Jewish betrayal stories. He writes, "...the act of betrayal by a member of the twelve disciples is not found in the earliest Christian writings. Judas is first placed into the Christian story by Gospel of Mark (3:19), who wrote in the early years of the eighth decade of the Common Era". He points out that some of Gospels, after the Crucifixion, refer to the number of Disciples as "Twelve", as if Judas were still among them. He compares the three conflicting descriptions of Judas's death - hanging, leaping into a pit, and disemboweling, with three Old Testament betrayals followed by similar suicides. John Shelby Spong (born 16 June 1931 in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.) is the retired Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark (based in Newark, New Jersey). ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Note: Judaism... For other uses, see Jew (disambiguation). ... The Gospel of Mark, anonymous[1] but traditionally ascribed to Mark the Evangelist, is a synoptic gospel of the New Testament. ...

Spong's conclusion is that early Bible authors, after the First Jewish-Roman War, sought to distance themselves from Rome's enemies. They augmented the Gospels with a story of a disciple, personified in Judas as the Jewish state, who either betrayed or handed-over Jesus to his Roman crucifiers. Spong identifies this augmentation with the origin of modern Anti-Semitism. Authors of the Bible are listed by book of the Bible, comparing the writer according to Christian tradition with what current scholarship proposes. ... Combatants Roman Empire Jews of Iudaea Province Commanders Vespasian, Titus Simon Bar-Giora, Yohanan mi-Gush Halav (John of Gischala), Eleazar ben Simon Strength 70,000? 1,100,000? Casualties Unknown 1,100,000? (majority Jewish civilian casualties) Jewish-Roman wars First War – Kitos War – Bar Kokhba revolt The first... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... The Eternal Jew: 1937 German poster. ...

Theologian Aaron Saari contends in his work The Many Deaths of Judas Iscariot that Judas Iscariot was the literary invention of the Markan community. As Judas does not appear in the Epistles of Paul, nor in the Q Gospel, Saari argues that the evident anti-Twelve language indicates a split between Pauline Christians, who saw no reason for the establishment of an organized Church, given the imminence of the Parousia, and the followers of Peter. Peter leaves the Gospel of Mark--the first gospel in which Judas appears--in absolute disgrace, no longer the "Rock," but rather as Simon. Saari contends that the denigration of Judas in Matthew and Luke-Acts has a direct correlation to the elevation of Peter in these texts (see, for example, the bestowing of the keys to the kingdom upon Peter, which is special-M material). Saari argues (much as Elaine Pagels does in her work Beyond Belief) that early Christian gospels record the conflicts of communities over Christological and theological concerns. Highly provocative, Saari's theory challenges conventional notions concerning Judas Iscariot. ...

In the novel Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, author Christopher Moore presents Judas' betrayal as an act born of humankind's own feelings of inadequacy compared to the divine.. ^[22] Christopher Moore (born 1957 in Toledo, Ohio[1]) is an American writer of absurdist fiction. ...

The Rock Opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Weber, present Jesus' betrayal and crucifixion through the eyes of Judas. In that interpretation, Judas is motivated out of a fear of what the Romans will do to the Jewish people if Jesus is not stopped. Judas fears that Jesus's talk of the Kingdom of God and his whipping up of the crowds will be mis-interpreted by the Romans as an affront to their authority. In this interpretation, Judas is seen as a humanitarian who is more concerned with feeding the poor than saving their souls. This article is about the rock opera. ... Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award winning lyricist, author, radio presenter and television gameshow panelist. ... Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born March 22, 1948) is a highly successful British composer of musical theatre. ...

Representations and symbolism

Hymnography

In the Eastern Orthodox hymns of Holy Wednesday (the Wednesday before Pascha), Judas is contrasted with Mary, sister of Lazarus, the woman who anointed Jesus with expensive perfume and washed his feet with her tears. According to the Gospel of John, Judas protested at this apparent extravagance, suggesting that the money spent on it should have been given to the poor. After this, Judas went to the chief priests and offered to betray Jesus for money. The hymns of Holy Wednesday contrast these two figures, encouraging believers to avoid the example of the fallen disciple and instead to imitate Mary's example of repentance. Also, Wednesday is observed as a day of fasting from meat, dairy products, and olive oil throughout the year in memory of the betrayal of Judas. The prayers of preparation for receiving the Eucharist also make mention of Judas' betrayal: "I will not reveal your mysteries to your enemies, neither like Judas will I betray you with a kiss, but like the thief on the cross I will confess you." Easter (also called Pascha) is generally accounted the most important holiday of the Christian year, observed March or April each year to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead (after his death by crucifixion; see Good Friday), which Christians believe happened at about this time of year, almost two... Mary anoints Jesus feet in Bethany in this modern Greek icon. ... For other uses, see Perfume (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Gospel of John (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Eucharist (disambiguation). ...

Gospel of Barnabas

According to medieval copies of the Gospel of Barnabas, it was Judas, not Jesus, who was crucified on the cross. It is mentioned in this work that Judas' appearance was transformed to that of Jesus', when the former, out of betrayal, led the Roman soldiers to arrest Jesus who by then was ascended to the heaven. This transformation of appearance was so identical that the masses, followers of Christ, and even the Mother of Jesus, Mary, initially thought that the one arrested and crucified was Jesus himself. The Gospel then mentions that after three days since burial, Judas' body was stolen from his grave, and then the rumours spread of Jesus being risen from the dead. When Jesus was informed in the third heaven about what happened, he prayed to God to be sent back to the earth, and so he descended and gathered his mother, disciples, and followers and mentioned to them the truth of what happened, and having said this he ascended back to the heavens, and will come back at the end of times as a just king. The Gospel of Barnabas is a work purporting to be a depiction of the life of Jesus by his disciple Barnabas. ...

Anti-Semitism

Jewish scholar Hyam Maccoby suggests that in the New Testament, the name "Judas" was intended as an attack on the Judaeans or on the Judaean religious establishment held responsible for executing Christ.^[23] The English word "Jew" is derived from the Latin Iudaeus, which, like the Greek Ιουδαίος (Ioudaios), could also mean "Judaean". In the Gospel of John, the original writer or a later editor may have tried to draw a parallel between Judas, Judaea, and the Judaeans (or Jews) in verses 6:70-7:1, which run like this in the King James Bible: This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Gospel of John (disambiguation). ... This page is about the version of the Bible; for the Harvey Danger album, see King James Version (album). ...

6:70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? 6:71 He spoke of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve. 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

In Greek, the earliest extant language of the Gospels, the words Judas — Jewry — Jews run like this: Ιούδας (Ioudas) — Ιουδαία (Ioudaia) — Ιουδαίοι (Ioudaioi). In Latin, the language of the Vulgate Bible, they run Judas — Judaea — Judaei. Whatever the original intentions of the original writers or editors of the Gospel of John, however, there is little doubt that the similarity between the name "Judas" and the words for "Jew" in various European languages has helped facilitate anti-Semitism. In German the same words run Judas — Judäa — Juden; in Spanish Judas — Judea — judíos; and in French Judas — Judée — juifs. He has also been seen as parallel to Judah, son of Jacob, by such writers as Charles Fillmore and John Shelby Spong. For other uses, see Galilee (disambiguation). ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... The Vulgate Bible is an early 5th century version in Latin, partly revised and partly translated by Jerome on the orders of Pope Damasus I in 382. ... The Eternal Jew: 1937 German poster. ... In Genesis (the first book of the Bible) Judah (יְהוּדָה Praise, Standard Hebrew YÉ™huda, Tiberian Hebrew YÉ™hûḏāh) is the fourth son of Jacob and Leah, born in Padan-aram (Genesis xxix. ... This article is about Jacob in the Hebrew Bible. ... Charles Fillmore (August 22, 1854 – July 5, 1948), born in St. ... John Shelby Spong (born 16 June 1931 in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.) is the retired Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark (based in Newark, New Jersey). ...

Art and literature

Cathédrale Saint-Lazare, Autun. Judas hangs himself

Judas has become the archetype of the betrayer in Western culture, with some role in virtually all literature telling the Passion story. In Dante's Inferno, he is condemned to the lowest circle of Hell, where he is one of three sinners deemed evil enough that they are doomed to be chewed for eternity in the mouths of the triple-headed Satan. (The others are Brutus and Cassius, who conspired against and assassinated Julius Caesar.) Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1219x914, 214 KB) Chapiteau dans la salle capitulaire de la cathédrale Saint-Lazare dAutun, Côte dOr, représentant la pendaison de Judas File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1219x914, 214 KB) Chapiteau dans la salle capitulaire de la cathédrale Saint-Lazare dAutun, Côte dOr, représentant la pendaison de Judas File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on... Autun is a town in the Saône-et-Loire département in Burgundy, France, and has a history which dates back to Roman times. ... The Passion is the theological term used for the suffering, both physical and mental, of Jesus in the hours prior to and including his trial and execution by crucifixion. ... Dante redirects here. ... For other uses see The Divine Comedy (disambiguation), Dantes Inferno (disambiguation), and The Inferno (disambiguation) Dante shown holding a copy of The Divine Comedy, next to the entrance to Hell, the seven terraces of Mount Purgatory and the city of Florence, with the spheres of Heaven above, in Michelino... This article is about the theological or philosophical afterlife. ... This article is about the concept of Satan. ... Marcus Junius Brutus (85–42 BC), or Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, was a Roman senator of the late Roman Republic. ... Caius Cassius Longinus featured on a denarius (42 BC). ... For other uses, see Julius Caesar (disambiguation). ...

• Judas is the subject of one of the oldest surviving English ballads, dating from the 13th century, Judas, in which the blame for the betrayal of Christ is placed on his sister.
• Edward Elgar's oratorio, The Apostles, depicts Judas as wanting to force Jesus to declare his divinity and establish the kingdom on earth. Eventually he succumbs to the sin of despair.
• Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita presents a parody of the betrayal of Christ, as though first-century Jerusalem were Moscow in the 1920s-1930s. Judas betrays Jesus and is then killed on the instructions of Pilate.
• In Paul Féval's novel, Vampire City two prominent but unseen rulers of the vampires are Baron Iscariot (implicitly Judas) and Baroness Phryne. This view of Judas as a vampire is also reflected in a series of films beginning with Dracula 2000, which depicts vampirism as a punishment for Judas's betrayal of Christ.
• In George R.R. Martin's short story "The Way of Cross and Dragon", a sect called the Order of Saint Judas Iscariot promotes a gospel of "Saint Judas" which is quite different than what is in the New Testament.
• Michael Moorcock's novel Behold the Man offers an alternative, sympathetic portrayal of Judas. In the book, Karl Glogauer, the time traveler from the 20th Century who takes on the role of Christ, asks a reluctant Judas to betray him in order to fulfill the biblical account of the crucifixion.
• In Simon R. Green's novel "Agents of Light and Darkness" Judas appears to the main character to defuse the Unholy Grail, the cup he drank from at the Last Supper and a force of evil analogue to the Holy Grail as a force of good.
• Playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis's 2004 play titled "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot" imagines what might happen if the case of Judas was brought before an afterlife appeals court.
• Judas is the main character in the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, which portrays him as disillusioned that Jesus' movement is becoming a cult of personality (he does not believe Jesus to be divine), and worried about negative repercussions that his rabid following will invite from the Roman authorities. After the betrayal, Judas feels personal guilt and senses that he has been a pawn in God's plan. He hangs himself, but returns (apparently from Heaven) to sing the show-stopping title number.
• Judas Iscariot is the first track of former Sister Machine Gun frontman Chris Randall's solo blues/vaudeville project, The Devil His Due.
• C.K. Steads' 2005 novel My Name Was Judas takes up the story of Judas 40 years after the death of Christ. Here Judas tells of his friendship with Jesus and puts forward the view that his only crime was an inability to believe the more outlandish claims of Jesus and his followers.
• "Judas Iscariot, Traitor?" was a 1971 novel by Lozania Prole.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Category:Judas Iscariot

Judas, Child ballad 23, dates to at least the 13th century and is one of the oldest surviving English ballads. ... Sir Edward Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, OM, GCVO (2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English Romantic composer. ... An oratorio is a large musical composition for orchestra, vocal soloists and chorus. ... The Apostles, op. ... Mikhail Afanasievich Bulgakov (Russian: Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков; May 15 [O.S. May 3] 1891, Kiev – March 10, 1940, Moscow) was a Russian novelist and playwright of the first half of the 20th century. ... The Master and Margarita (Russian: ) is a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, woven about the premise of a visit by the Devil to the fervently atheistic Soviet Union. ... Year 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Paul Henri Corentin Féval, père (17 September 1817 - 8 March 1887) was a French novelist and dramatist. ... View of the Colonna Venus, ancient replica of the Aphrodite of Knidos by Praxiteles, (Phryne is thought to be the model). ... Dracula 2000 (also known as Dracula 2001 in some countries) is a horror movie which attempts to transfer the story of Dracula into the setting of a modern teen horror film. ... George R. R. Martin, circa 1986 George Raymond Richard Martin (born September 20, 1948 in Bayonne, New Jersey) is an American writer of science fiction and fantasy, and also a screenwriter and producer. ... The Way of Cross and Dragon is a short story by George R. R. Martin. ... For other uses, see Gospel (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Christian scriptures. ... Michael John Moorcock (born December 18, 1939, in London, England) is a prolific English writer primarily of science fiction and fantasy who has also published a number of literary novels. ... Behold the Man is a novella by Michael Moorcock, first published in 1966 by New Worlds S.F. It is the story of one Karl Glogauer who travels back in time in a time machine constructed by one Sir James Headington (physicist and wartime inventor) to the year 28 of... Karl Glogauer is the protagonist of several novels by Michael Moorcock, and a secondary character in multiple short stories. ... For other uses, see Simon Green (disambiguation). ... Stephen Adly Guirgis- A Playwright, Actor, and Teleplay Writer. ... This article is about the rock opera. ... Sister Machine Gun began life in 1990 as an industrial duo formed by Chris Randall and Chris Kelly in Chicago. ... Chris Randall is an American musician, and the former frontman of Sister Machine Gun. ...

See also

• Burning of Judas
• John the Baptist
• Gospel of Judas

The Burning of Judas is an Easter-time festival in many Orthodox and Catholic Christian communities, where an effigy of Judas Iscariot is burned. ... For the hip-hop producer with the same name, see John the Baptist (producer). ... The Gospel of Judas is a Gnostic gospel. ...

References

John Paul Meier is a prominent Biblical scholar and Catholic priest. ... Alfred Edersheim (March 7, 1825 – March 16, 1889) was a Jewish convert to Christianity and a biblical scholar, known especially for his book The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (1883). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ...

External links

• Judas Iscariot: Catholic Encyclopedia article published 1910
• Jewish Encyclopedia: Judas Iscariot
• "Death and Retribution: Medieval Visions of the End of Judas the Traitor" - 1997 lecture by Dr Otfried Lieberknecht
• Gospel Truth